Decomposition
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What evidence of decomposition can you find? What kind of animal is being decomposed? What animals are doing the decomposing?
How long has the animal been there? How can you tell? What parts of the animal are left? Which parts are missing, and where did they go? |
Has the animal been moved since it died? How can you tell? Have any larger animals helped in the decomposition process?
What human-made objects can you see in the area? Why are they there? Why is decomposition important? What would happen if there were no decomposers in the forest? |
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Prepare your students for what they are about to see before they can catch a glimpse of the decomposing animal. Tell them it is OK to turn away if they don't want to look at it, but they should still be close enough to hear the lesson. Also warn them about the smell, so they can breathe only through their mouth if they wish.
Get close to it! In prime maggot stage, you can actually hear the maggots moving around. Look closely at what the maggots are doing. Look closely at what they eat and what they don't eat. Students learn by experiencing things fully, not just talking about them - so go ahead, poke it with a stick - gently! Though it may not seem like it at first, your brain gets a lot of information about the size, weight, texture, and density of an object by sensing the pressure exerted by a stick. |
Those maggots come from flies. The flies smell the carcass, and arrive to lay their eggs in the flesh, so their babies will be well-fed. The flies lay eggs in gooey parts, and they need access to those gooey parts. This means they'll start in the mouth, eyes, nose, ears, and... butt-hole.
Once some of the maggots (or a larger scavenger) have exposed more flesh, there are more gooey access points and more flies can lay more eggs. Don't forget to discuss decomposers in terms of niche, adaptation, and habitat! Relate decomposition to other things on the hike, the afternoon stations, and other field studies. |
Additional Resources
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